I am a practising artist, and this is my blog. Here, I post about my own art and things art related, as well as general life, from time to time.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Warning! References to Lady Parts!

Good Day, Blogger World!

As I started my day, I saw a link to this article in Bust Magazine go by on Facebook. It featured this Kotex advertisment,

followed by this stand-up comic, making a really good point through a comedic skit:

Rather than making me angry, this thing brightened up my day. That's what I love about comedy, that it can be used to raise consciousness without raising negativity. Seriously (and this was pointed out in the second video) wasn't it Kotex that was supposedly trying to get us to be less self-conscious with our lady parts? With their pretty pads and "Why are tampons such a big deal" video?

I don't want to make Kotex out to be the enemy. But neither am I buying that they're as progressive as they say. Making more money tends to trump the social issues angle when it comes to business. What troubles me about this product is that it seems to be edging in the direction of maxi pads become required women's wear for everyday life, not just that special time each month. Creating a problem and then solving it - one of my least favorite tricks of marketing. What's next - pads for everywhere else we sweat? Even outside the women's issues angle, think of all the pantyliners that end up in landfills already! Overall, I don't believe a lot of thinking went into this product. But at least it's good for a laugh. :P

I had some fun with panty liners back in art school. Here's what I came up with:

One was to address the deeper cultural issues around women's menstruation, while the other was more a celebration of the freedom we've come to enjoy compared to generations past. I made both of these dresses with pads from the dollar store. It was fun, and they've actually had quite a bit of attention over the years. It sparks an interesting dialogue, at least. I thought of making another one with the fancy new Kotex pads, though I've lacked the funds to take on big projects lately. Now I'm thinking I might hold off for different reasons....

Anyway, this has been the most interesting part of my morning so far. Until next time, blogger world! :)